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The Cuban deputy Carlos Miguel Pérez Reyes, representative of the Playa municipality in Havana and president of the Mipyme DOFLEINI S.R.L., sparked outrage on social media after justifying repression and setting limits on criticism in Cuba, amid the uproar caused by the detention of two young individuals linked to the digital project El4tico.
In a statement released this Sunday, the legislator asserted that there is a "right to freedom of thought and expression" on the island, but clarified that this right cannot be exercised without restrictions, insisting that "no right is absolute."
"In Cuba, there is the right to freedom of thought and expression... but no right is absolute," wrote Pérez Reyes, citing articles from the Constitution to argue that freedom of expression cannot be used as a "shield to harm others" or "to incite violence."
His statements came just as reports are increasing regarding the detention of Ernesto Ricardo Medina and Kamil Zayas Pérez, two young creators linked to El4tico, an independent project with a strong presence on social media and known for its critical stance towards the regime.
According to reports, both were arrested in Holguín in the early hours of February 6, during an operation that also involved a raid and the seizure of work equipment. Medina was detained at his home, leaving his family in a vulnerable situation following the police action.
The young people would have been transferred to the Criminal Instruction headquarters in Holguín, popularly known as "Todo el mundo canta," a place repeatedly highlighted for allegations of abuse and repressive methods.
The deputy's post sparked a debate, as dozens of users responded that a freedom that ends in arrests is not a real right, but "merely paper."
"You are trying to disguise what is actually a political justification for repression as 'constitutional analysis,'" wrote one internet user. Others were more direct, telling him that "the Constitution and the laws in Cuba are only for what suits you" and "What you describe is literally a dictatorship," as seen in the comments. The demand also echoed: "Freedom for El4tico!"
Many questioned the idea of using the "national defense" article to justify the detention of young people who are merely voicing "what we all think." "Where is the evidence that they were financed?" asked one user, while another sarcastically remarked that the constitutional text "silences the people" and leaves them "at the mercy of misgovernment."
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